Easy Gardening Tips from a Lawn Revolutionary

When we heard about Oak Park, Michigan, resident Julie Bass's plight — she was charged with a misdeamenor for turning her front lawn into a veggie garden (see below) — we were intrigued. Was this a political statement against matchy-matchy suburban lawns? A produce-loving woman's way to get her fresh fix? Neither, exactly. The saga started when she had to repair a sewer pipe in her front yard last year. Read on for what happened next, what's going on now, and her best tips for would-be gardeners (like us!).

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Julie Bass

Sara Lyle: What did your front lawn look like before you decided to turn it into a garden?

Julie Bass: We had a regular front lawn until we had to get the sewer pipe fixed last September. Then it was basically just big mounds of dirt that the plumber left in order to let the dirt settle. We decided on the garden as a way to landscape the front yard with something more useful than a lawn. That said, the front third-to-half of the yard is still lawn. We planted grass so my British husband wouldn't feel like a total non-conformist.

Do you think it looks as nice as your neighbors' lawns now? Do you think it actually looks better than some?

It definitely looks better than some lawns — and better than our lawn used to for sure! It's ironic that we never used to spend time or money on the lawn, and the year we actually invest ourselves in a project that gets us out there every day to maintain the garden, this is the year they ticket us. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

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What steps have you taken to make your front-yard garden look aesthetically pleasing, to give it some curb appeal? For the record, I think it's pretty cute.

Thanks for saying it's cute! We actually were originally told by the city planner that "decorative plantings" were allowed, so we made the garden with that in mind. We hired someone to make the boxes (I am naturally cheap, and a big fan of repurposing items — so left to my own devices, it would have been just scavenged wood or rocks or something). We bought (eek!) some pretty metal trellises for the tomatoes and peas, a garden swing so people could hang out (and many of our neighbors do!), paving stones to make a path, and nice mulch to put between the beds (I would have used straw) so it would seem more "park-like."

Did you ever think you'd get in so much hot water for your decision to grow some vegetables? How relieved are you that the charges were dismissed last week?

No way! We even asked the city first — I went out of my way to make sure I knew the ordinances and that we were allowed to do what we did. Honestly, I am not relieved at all — since the charges were dismissed without prejudice, it means the prosecutor can bring those charges up again any time he wants. It leaves us with the feeling that the ax will drop at any random time.

Got it. So what's been your most successful crop, so far?

We haven't actually even picked anything yet. We are starting to get green tomatoes, and some baby zucchini and baby peppers, and a few pea pods. If we have too much I will can or freeze the extra. We also have tons of neighbors who would love some fresh organic produce.

What tips do you have for me and my friend who are going to try to grow a raised bed this year?

I'll tell you what I wish I would have figured out sooner: Find one or two gardeners in your area who have been successful and just ask them to help you. [Before,] we looked on the Internet and researched and gathered way too much information (I'm an info junkie). We were on overload — a lot of the different sources conflicted with each other — and had no idea what was right and what was wrong. But gardeners are super friendly and eager to share tips. Every success in our garden this year is due to the support of a few gardening friends.

What's the one gardening tool you can't live without?

Probably my sprinkler — if I had to stand outside in this heat to water the garden, I would probably just let everything die. Is the sprinkler even considered a tool? We're pretty low tech. What we do, we do by hand.

On that note, do you wear gardening gloves? Do you think I should?

Well, I did start with gloves. I would still maybe use them for big icky jobs. But for most of gardening — planting, weeding, checking for bugs, etc. — they are just too clunky. I do use them when I have heavy shoveling jobs to do, like turning the compost pile. They protect my hands from blisters. I would have to say I'm mostly a hands-in-the-dirt kind of girl!

Follow Julie's blog, oakparkhatesveggies.com, for updates on her case, garden, migraines, and other random, rather hilarious musings.

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